New Delhi, March 23 : India and Greece discussed the possibility of enhancing the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, during the talks between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and visiting Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias here on Wednesday. The Greek Foreign Minister is on his first visit to India, though it was his third meeting with the EAM in less than a year — including during the visit of the EAM to Greece in June last year and their meeting in Paris in February this year, on the sidelines of the EU Ministerial Forum for Indo-Pacific Cooperation. The Foreign Minister of Greece met the EAM for delegation level talks today. “I have to be honest with you from the beginning. We aspire our relation to become a strategic one, and I hope that Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Mitsotakis will meet shortly exactly for that purpose,” the Greek FM said in a statement on the talks. “I have to say also, it is 75 years for you, and 200 years for us, but we also share the fact that we are the first and you are by far the biggest democracy in the world. A very proud democracy. Mahatma Gandhi was born here, also Nehru, Sardar Patel, very important statesmen who are very well known to the world, not just to us. “And also, as again you were kind enough to remark, we see many things in a very similar way: the International Law, sovereignty, human rights, prohibition of use of force and our shared commitment to International Law of the Sea, to UNCLOS. This and also maritime security is very important to us,” he said. This was in reference to the tensions between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea. From the mid-1950s to the present, the two countries have been involved in a series of conflicts, some of which have escalated into major crises, over the Aegean Sea. While Turkey has not signed the ted Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), Greece has signed and ratified it. “I am so happy to be here today, so honoured, and I am looking very much forward to our discussion on all serious issues, starting of course with the crisis in Ukraine. This for us will be a great opport ty to hear the way a big power like India sees things. But it will allow also me to brief you on the situation in Eastern Mediterranean, on the issue of Cyprus and on all other important issues in our region,” he added. The recent findings of natural gas in the East Mediterranean has sparked new escalation of tensions between Turkey and its neighbours, Greece and Cyprus. An Indian government readout of the meeting said, The Greek side congratulated India on 75 years of its Independence, while EAM congratulated the Greek side on the 200 years of the start of their war for independence. Both sides discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and explored ways to further strengthen the close and friendly ties between the two countries. The two Ministers expressed hope that the 8th round of Joint Economic Committee Meeting scheduled at Athens on April 15 will provide further impetus to trade and investment ties. They appreciated that trade has shown a significant increase, and has crossed US$ 1 billion despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. Both sides agreed to work together to further enhance collaboration in mutually beneficial sectors such as shipping and maritime, information technology, agriculture, new and renewable energy, and pharmaceuticals, an official statement said. Both sides shared views on regional and global issues of mutual interest in the context of new geo-political and geo-economic realities. Developments pertaining to the European on, Eastern Mediterranean, Afghanistan and Ukraine were discussed. The two sides conveyed their deep commitment to multilateralism, and a rules-based international order. They reaffirmed the importance of the urgent reform of the UN. It was also agreed that the next round of Foreign Office Consultations would be scheduled soon. Both sides noted the importance of movement of people in an orderly and legal way and signed a Declaration of Intent on Migration and Mobility. Considering their rich ancient past, the two sides agreed to continue their relationship in the field of culture and education. A Cultural and Education Exchange Programme for the five year period 2022-2026 was signed during the visit. The Greek Foreign Minister handed over his country’s Instrument of Ratification to the Framework Agreement on the International Solar Alliance. The two sides discussed the possibility of enhancement of the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership. Detailed discussions were held on the importance of keeping our oceans free and open for movement and trade. Both sides also underlined the need to support and adhere to the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS). During his visit, the Greek Foreign Minister also called on Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. The visit of Foreign Minister of Greece has contributed to sustaining the momentum of high-level exchanges aimed towards further consolidating the bilateral relations between India and Greece, the statement said. India and Greece share close and friendly ties, which are based on shared values of democracy, freedom and rule of law. Our bilateral relations are marked by rich civilizational linkages. These ties are characterized by frequent high-level visits including that of President of India to Greece in 2018, the Greek FM to India in 2017 and EAM’s visit to Greece in June 2021. He later gave a talk at the Jawaharlal Nehru versity, which has a Chair of Greek Studies. RN